Fire-extinguishing system.



L. E. ECKELMANN & H. HERTZBERG.

RE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

APPLlCATION FILED APR. 26. I918.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

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L. E. ECKELMANN & H. HERTZBERG.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APRLZB. 191s.

Patented J an. 28, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 1918. 1,292,732. Patented Jan.28,1919.

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LUIS E. ECKELMANN AND HARRY HERTZBERG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TOPYREN'E MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application filed April 26. 19 18. I Serial No 231.052.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LUIS E. ECKELMANN and HARRY Hnnrznnno, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have 1n vented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Extinguishing Systems, of of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a fire extinguishing system and moreparticularly to the automatic control of the medium employed inextinguishing fires.

The invention has for an object to provide a fire extinguishing systemin which a fire extinguishing liquid will be vaporized by heat otherthan that of the fire to be extinguished.

Another object is to provide a system in which the vaporizing means willbe automatically brought into action at the start of a conflagration bythe increase of heat at the location of the fire, the system beingparticularly adapted for operating in locations which are not readilyaccessible.

A further object is to provide an automatic fire extinguishing systemfor installation in the holds of ships, factories, storehouses, or otherdesired places, which will bring into action an efficient and positivefire extinguishing medium.

Other objects relate to the provision of various signals and testingmeans indlcating the condition of the system as a whole.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating onearrangement of the system embodying the invention, the various novelfeatures being more particularly set forth in the appended In thedrawings like parts have been given the same reference numeral.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic view of the system.

Fig. 2 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in section, ofthe vaporizer.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the heating units of the vaporizer.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the automatic fluid control valve and itsoperating means.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the operating means shown in the upper part ofFig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation, partly broken away, of a part of the valveoperating means shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a detail front view of the thermostat.

In the present embodiment of the invention an electrically heatedvaporizing device is provided, the heat from a confiagration operating athermostat and causing the current to flow through the heating coils ofthe vaporizer and heat a vaporizing surface and also causing a fireextinguishing liquid to flow from a suitable storage tank or receptacleto the vaporizer.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the vaporizer is designated generally by thereference numeral 1 and the storage tank by the reference numeral 2. Afluid conducting pipe 3, provided with an automatic control valve 4:, towhich reference will later be made, leads from the tank to thevaporizer, the liquid being discharged through a perforated ring 3located above the vaporizer.

The vaporizer, (see Fig. 2), is here shown as comprising a conical shell5, of copper or other material, covered with a thin sheeting (3 ofasbestos, upon which the fire extinguishing liquid is discharged, thisshell having formed thereon a series of horizontal annular gutters 7,all but the lowermost of which are provided with outlet openings 8 inthe bottom thereof. These outlet openings 8 are preferably spaced ashort distance apart throughout the length of the gutters so that thelatter will serve to collect and redistribute the liquid .to insure aproper spreading of the latterover the expanding surface presented bythe cone from apex to base. The collective area presented by theopenings in each gutter is preferably just sufiicient to permit theproper amount of liquid to be vaporized to flow through to the remainingsurface with the pressure due to a very slight collection of liquid inthe gutter.

The heating means comprises a series of segmental units 10, shown indetail in Fig. 3, each comprising a suitable metallic tape 11 wound upona pair of laterally separated insulating supports 12 and 13 of mica orother suitable material and covered by sheets 14: and Y15, also of mica,the opposite terminals of the tape 11 being connected to binding posts16 and 17. These units, when assembled, cover the interior surface ofthe shell 5 and are supported in position by an inner conical shell 18,the units being sufiiciently flexible to follow the curve of the shells.

Each of the units above described is connected in parallel to a commonsupply circuit, which is here effected by providing a pair of rings 20and 21 located below the shell 5 and to which the respective bindingposts 16 and 17 are connected by straps 22 and 23, the main feed andreturn wires 78 and 79 in Fig. 1, leading to the rings 20 and 21, aswill be understood. An annular band 24 may inclose and protect theserings, as shown in Fig. 2.

This heating device is very effioient as the source of heat is placed asclose as possible to the surface to be heated, although it is understoodthat the particular construction of the heater itself or of thevaporizer itself forms no part of the present invention forming thesubject of this application.

The flow of liquid from the tank 2 to the vaporizer is controlled by thevalve 4, before mentioned. The control means for this valve is automaticin its operation and is also arranged to delay the discharge of theliquid upon the vaporizer until the latter has been sufficiently heatedby the heating means. In the present instance this valve is operated bythe expansionof a member under the heating influence of the electriccurrent and the valve is, therefore, termed an electo-thermal valve. Thevalve proper may be of any ordinary normally closed type, being hereshown (Figs. 56) with a projecting stem 25 by depression of which thevalve is opened.

As shown in Fig. 5, a lever 27 is fulcrumed between its ends to abracket 26, fixed on the valve casing, one end of which lever 27 projects over the valve stem 25. The opposite end of this lever 27 isconnected to one end of a second lever 28 by a slot and pin connection29, the lever 28 being fulcrumed at its opposite end, as at 30, to asuitable base or panel 31 upon which the valve mechanism may be mounted.

Mounted on the panel 31, between the latter and the levers 27 and 28, isan electrothermal device whereby the lever 28 is operated. This deviceas shown in Figs. 5 to 8, comprises a single bar bent upon itself toform legs 35 and 36 having inturned feet 37 and 38, which latter overlapone another and are secured to a block 39 on the panel 31 by a bolt 39*.The legs 35 and 36 incline upwardly and inwardly toward one another andengage a screw pin 28*, carried by the lever 28 a short distance belowthe fulcrum 30 thereof, engaged freely in the crotch of the legs 35 and36. This bar is, in effect, arranged to constitute a narrow baseisosceles triangle having a common median plane with the levers 27 and28 when in normal position. Y

Fixed upon the leg 36, by suitable means such as the screws 40, is apair of shorter bars 41 and 42, superposed one on the other with aheating element between them (Figs.

The heating element as shown comprises a suitable metal filament 43wound on an insulating strip 44 and covered by strips 45 and 46, also ofinsulating material, such as mica, the opposite ends of the filament 43being connected to binding posts 47 and 48.

The application of heat to the leg 36 causes an expansion thereof whichacts to throw the apex of the triangle,engaging the screw pin 28 to theleft and, consequently, move the levers 27 and 28 and depress the valvestem 25 and open the valve 4. a

As will be more fully pointed out later, this arrangement causes theflow of the 1iq uid to the vaporizer to be delayed until such time asthe heating surface of the latter has been raised to the propertemperature. The particular construction of the valve operating deviceis not claimed per 86 as a part of the present invention, as other meansthan that just described for controlling the flow of the liquid to thevaporizer may be employed, the means here shown being a simple andefficient arrangement for effecting the desired control.

Upon the panel 31 may also be mounted the main controlling switches forthe electric circuit. As these switches are of well known conventionaltype no detailed description or illustration other than that in Fig. 1is considered necessary.

These switches comprise a double-pole, single throw, hand switch, whosesix terminal connections are numbered 50, 51, 52, 53, the two latterbeing connected by fuses 54 and 55 to a pair of terminal blocks 56 and57 in the usual 'manner. Adjoining this hand switch are a pair ofgravity-opening, solenoid-operated switches, indicated generally at 58and 59. The switch 58 operates a relay to close a circuit which operatesthe switch 59, which latter in turn closes the main circuit to theheater of the vaporizer. The switch 58 carries a bridge piece 60 adaptedto close the circuit across a pair of contacts 61 and 62, and the switch59 carries a bridge piece 63 adapted to close the circuit across a pairof contacts 64 and 65.

The necessary circuits to operate both the vaporizer and valve mechanismare closed by means of any desired or required number of thermostatslocated at selected points. In the diagram of the system (Fig. 1) wehave shown only one of these thermostats, indicatedgenerally by thereference numeral 66.

Before describing in detail the thermostats n various annunciatordevices, the

circuits through the main switches above referred to will be described.

Only one circuit is provided between the thermostat and annunciatordevices and the main switches, a pair of wires and 71 leading to theterminals of the operating coil of switch 58, the closin of this switchsendinc current through the operatinccoil of sw1tch 59 and closingthelatter through a circuit to be traced later. Switch 59 being closed,closing the circuit through contacts 64 and 65, the main circuit to thevaporizer heater is arranged as follows: One side of the main feed line75 connects to contact 64 of switch 59 and from contact 65 a wire 76leads to the terminal block 56 which is con nected to the terminal 52 ofthe hand switch by the fuse 54. From the terminal 50 of the hand switcha wire 78 leads to one of the rings of the vaporizer heater and from theother ring of this heater a wire 79 leads to terminal 51 of the handswitch, from which the circuit is closed through terminal 53 and fuse 55to terminal block 57, the return wire 81 completing this circuit to theopposite side 7 5 of the main feed line.

The circuit through the valve control is arranged as follows: Fromterminal 50 of the hand switch a wire 82 leads to one terminal 47 of theheater coil 43 and from the other terminal 48 of this heater coil a lineconnection 83, in which is a fuse 84, leads to terminal 51 of the handswitch, thus forming a shunt circuit from the main circuit to thevaporizer, just described.

The circuit through the coil of switch 59 is arranged as follows: Fromthe con tact 64 of this switch a line connection 85, in which is a fuse86, leads to one terminal of the operating coil and from the otherterminal a wire 87 leads to contact 62 of the switch 58. From the othercontact of switch 58 a wire 88 leads to the line 83, which latter, aspreviously pointed out, connects to the return side or terminal 51 ofthe hand switch, thus forming another shunt circuit for operating switch59.

A pilot lamp 90 may also be provided, this lamp being connected by awire 91 and through the fuse 86 to the main line and by a wire 92 to theterminal 57 of the hand switch.

The thermostat 66 may be of any well known or approved construction andone or more may be provided in connection with each vaporizer. In thediagram of the system (Fig. 1) we have shown only one of thesethermostats which, as shown in detail in Fig. 9, comprises a pair ofnormally separated fingers 97 and 98, fixed at one end to posts 99 and99 on an insulating base 100, these fingers being each made up of twoleaves of different metals having different degrees of expansion underheat. The thermostat also has a fixed contact post 101 normally inengagement with one of the fingers 98. These fingers also act as contactor circuit closing members, as will be apparent, the heat from aconfiagration causing the fingers to approach one another and makecontact and thus close the circuit from the battery X (Fig. 1) throughthe coil of the relay switch 58, which will be explained more fullyhereinafter.

The thermostat also preferably controls a series of devices for givingvisual and audible indication of the functioning of the system, whichhere include a pair of annunciator drops 102 and 103, a general alarmbell 104 and annunciator drop 1.05 for the latter; also a drop 106 andbell 107, adapted to give an indication of the exhaustion of the liquidfrom the storage tank 2, these annunciator drops being of any well knownconstruction which it is not necessary to describe in detail.

The shutter of the annunciator drop 102 preferably bears the words Hightemperature; the shutter of the annunciator drop 103 the words Lowtemperature; the shutter of the drop 105 the words General alarm; andthe shutter of the drop 106 the words Empty tank.

Carried by the shutter of drop 102 is a bridging bar 120 and disposedunder said bar in position to be engaged thereby when the shutter fallsare a pair of contact points 121 and 122.

A similar bridging bar 123 is carried by the shutter of drop 105 and isadapted to bridge a pair of contacts 124 and 125 located under the bar,while a similar bar 126 and contacts 127 and 128 are provided inconnection with drop 106.

The control system is also preferably arranged so that current will. notflow to the relay switch 58 to put the vaporizer heater in operationshould the liquid be exhausted from the supply tank 2, even though thethermostat fingers 97 and 98 are caused to contact by rise oftemperature.

The means here shown (Fig. 1) by which this is effected comprises acontact finger 130 suitably hinged on the upper portion of the tank 2and having connected thereto, by a pivotal connection, the upper end ofa rigid rod 131, to whose lower end is fixed a float 132 guided to havefree vertical movement by the guides 133.

The end of the hinged contact 130 projects between a pair of fixedcontacts 134 and 135. From one side of a battery X a wire 136 leads tothe hinged contact 130. From the fixed contact 134 the wire 70, beforementioned, leads to the operating coil of the relay switch 58. The otherwire, 71, of the relay switch connects to the contact 121 adjacent drop102, and from contact 122 a wire 137 leads back to the battery X.

It will thus be apparent that when the liquid in the tank issubstantially exhausted current cannot flow to operate relay switch 58,since a break will be established in the circuit, by reason of hingedcontact 130 dropping away from fixed contact 134, even though theshutter of drop 102 may have fallen and bridged contacts 121 and 122.

The thermostat circuits are arranged as follows: From battery X a wire140 leads to finger 97 of the thermostat 66 and from finger 98 a wire141 leads to one terminal of drop 102, from the other terminal of thisdrop a wire 142 leads to one terminal of drop 105, from the otherterminal of which a wire 142 joins the return battery wire 137, the twodrops beinp thus wired in series. Finger 97 of the thermostat 66 isnormally in contact with the post 101 and from the latter a wire 143leads to one terminal of drop 103, the other terminal of which isconnected, by means of a wire 144 which joins wire 137, to the batteryX.

The circuits whereby warning is given of an exhausted condition of thesupply tank 2 are arranged as follows: From fixed tank contact 135 awire 150 leads to one terminal drop 106, from whose opposite terminal awire 151 leads to return battery wire 137, the circuit being completedfrom battery X through wire 136 and hinged tank contact 130, contact135, line 150, drop 106, line 151 and 137 back to battery X. Thisoperates the bridging bar 126 closing contacts 127 and 128 and thecircuit from battery Y through wires 152 and 153, bell 107 and wire 154back to the battery Y. Exhaustion of the liquid in the tank 2 willobviously cause the hinged tank contact 130 to drop into engagement withthe fixed tank contact 135 and release the shutter of drop 106, which,in turn, closes the circuit through the bell 107 just described.

The circuits for operating the general alarm bell 104 are arranged asfollows: As previously pointed out, the general alarm drop 105 is inseries with the high temperature drop and will be actuated by contactingof thermostat fingers 97 and 98, causing the shutter of drop 105 to falland bridge contacts 124 and 125. From contact 124 a wire 160 leads tobattery Y. From battery Y a wire 161 leads to bell 104 and from thelatter a wire 162 leads to contact 125, closing this circuit andoperating the alarm bell 104. t

It is not considered necessary to illustrate and describe in detail themechanical features connected with the mounting of the tank contacts orthe bridging members and contacts connected with the drops 102, 105 and106, since such mechanical detailswould be obvious to those skilled inthe manufacture of electrical instruments and appliances.

The operation of the system is as follows:

The thermostat 66 and vaporizer 1 will be placed in such places where afire is liable to occur, preferably suspended from the ceiling. Innormal conditions the switches 58 and 59 are open, as shown, but thehand switch is closed. Under normal. conditions, also, there is a closedcircuit through the low temperature drop 103, this being traced asfollows: battery X, wire 140, thermostat finger 97, post 101, wire 143,drop 103, wires 144 and 137 to battery.

'The exposing of the shutter of drop 103 thus indicates that thetemperature is normal in the vicinity of the thermostat.

Upon abnormal increase of temperature in the vicinity of the thermostatthe fingers 97 and 98 approach one another and close a circuit throughthe high temperature drop 102 as follows: battery X, wire 140,thermostat fingers 97 and 98, wire 141, coils of drops 102 and 105,wires 142 and 137 back to battery. The shutter of drop 102 falling,bridges contacts 121 and 122 and closes a circuit through relay switch58 as follows: battery X, wire 136, tank contacts 130 and 134, wire 70,operating coil of switch 58, wire 71, contact 121, bridge 120, contact122 and wire 137 back to battery.

Switch 58 being operated, a circuit is closed through switch 59 asfollows: main feed wire 75, line 85 (including fuse 86), operating coilof switch 59, wire 87, contacts 62 and 61 of switch 58, wire 88, fuse84, wire 83 terminal 51 on one side of the hand switch through terminal53, fuse 55, terminal 57 and return wire 81 to main feed wire 7 5.

Simultaneously the shunt circuit is closed through the electro-thermalvalve coil 43 as follows: from terminal 50 of the hand switch, (which isconnected to main feed wire 75 as already described), through wire 82,coil 43, wire 83, to terminal 51 of the hand switch, (which is connectedto main feed wire 75 as already described).

The application of heat from coil 43 to the bar 36 causes this bar toexpand, which results in throwing the apex of the triangle to the left.The lever 28 being engaged by the apex of the triangle through the pin28 will be correspondingly moved, and, in turn, transmit its motion tothe lever 27, which latter acts on the valve stem 25 to depress thelatter and open the valve.

It will be apparent that there will be an appreciable space of timebetween the application of the current and the opening of the valve sothat the vaporizer will have been heated before the liquid begins toflow thereon, resulting in an immediate and complete vaporization. Thisis an important feature which increases the efficiency of the system.Not only is any waste of the liquid prevented but the time necessary toheat the vaporizer to the required degree is reduced. It has been foundthat if the liquid strikes the vaporizer before the latter has beenfully heated the evaporation tends to cool the same and delay its fulloperation.

Since the shutter of drop 105 falls simultaneously with that of drop102, these two drops being wired in series as above set forth, a circuitis closed through the general alarm bell 104 as follows: battery Y, wire161, bell 104, wire 162, contact 125, bridge 123, contact 124 and wire160 back to bat tery.

When the liquid in the tank is exhausted the hinged tank contact 130drops away from the fixed tank contact 134% and engages the fixed tankcontact 135, closing a circuit as follows: battery X, wire 136, contact130 and 135, wire 150, drop 106, wires 151 and 137 back to battery. Theshutter of drop 106 falls, giving a visual indication of the exhaustionof the liquid While, at the same time, a circuit is closed through bell107, causing an audible Warning to be sounded. This circuit has beenalready described.

The condition of the thermostat 66 and of the circuits may be tested byraising the shutter of the low temperature drop 103. If, when released,the shutter remains at its indicating position this will indicate thatthe contact 101 of the thermostat is closed and that a normaltemperature exists at that point, as otherwise the thermostat would haveopened the contact 101 and the shutter of drop 103 would remain latchedin its nonindicating position upon being raised.

What We claim is:

1. A fire extinguishing system comprising a vaporizer, heating means forsaid vaporizer, means for causing automatic functioning of said heatingmeans upon abnormal increase of temperature in a selected location, andmeans for delivering a fire extinguishing liquid to said vaporizer.

2. A fire extinguishing system comprising a vaporizer, a heatertherefor, and means for causing automatic functioning of said heater anddelivery of a fire extinguishing liquid to said vaporizer underpredetermined temperature conditions.

3. A fire extingulshing system comprising a device presenting avaporizing surface, and means for first automatically causing heat to beapplied to said vaporizing surface and then causing a fire extinguishingfluid to be delivered thereto upon the occurrence of certainpredetermined temperature conditions.

4. A fire extinguishing system comprising a vaporizer presenting anexposed vaporizing surface, heating means for said vaporizer, means forcausing automatic functioning of said heating means upon abnormalincrease of temperature in a selected location, and means for deliveringa fire extinguishing liquid to said vaporizing surface.

5. A fire extinguishing system comprising an electrically heatedvaporizer, electrically controlled means for supplying a fireextinguishing fluid to said vaporizer, and a thermostatic meanscontrolling the flow of current to the said vaporizer and to said firstmentioned means.

6. A fire extinguishing system comprising .an electrically heatedvaporizer, a source of supply of a fire extinguishing fluid, athermal-operated valve controlling the flow of liquid from said sourceof supply, and thermostatic means controlling the operation of saidvaporizer and said thermal-operated valve.

7. A fire extinguishing system comprising an electrically heatedvaporizer, a source of supply of a fire extinguishing fluid, athermal-operated valve controlling the flow of fluid from said source ofsupply, and means controlled by temperature adapted to first cause saidvaporizer to be heated and then open said valve.

8. A fire extinguishing system comprising an electrically heatedvaporizer, a source of supply of a fire extinguishing fluid, anelectro-thermal valve controlling the flow of fluid from said source ofsupply, and thermostatic means adapted to cause a flow of electriccurrent to said vaporizer and said electro-thermal valve upon theoccurrence of abnormal temperature in a selected locality.

9. In a fire extinguishing; system, a vaporizer, a supply tank for afire extinguishing liquid, means for causing the fire extinguishingliquid to be delivered to the vaporizer, means for heating the vaporizerupon the occurrence of certain predetermined temperature conditions, andmeans for rendering said vaporizer heating means inoperative upon theexhaustion of the liquid in the tank.

10. In a fire extinguishing system, a vaporizer provided with means forelectrically heating the same, a supply tank for a fire extinguishingliquid, a float in said tank, a pair of contacts normally held closed bysaid float, a thermostat, and means for com pleting an electric circuitthrough said thermostat and said contacts, the completing of saidcircuit being adapted to cause flow of electric current for saidvaporizer heating means.

11. In a fire extinguishing system, a vaporizer provided with means forelectrically heating the same, a supply tank for a fire extinguishingliquid, an electro-thermal valve controlling flow of liquid from saidtank to said vaporizer, a float in said tank, a pair of contactsnormally held closed by said float, a thermostat, and means forcompleting an electric circuit through said thermostat and saidcontacts, the completing of said circuit by said thermostat beingadapted to cause flow of electric current to the vaporizer heating meansand to said electrothermal valve.

12. In a fire extinguishing system, a va porizer provided with means forelect-rically heating the same, thermostatic means adapted to cause anelectric current to flow to said vaporizer heating means, a tankcontaining a supply of fire extinguishing liquid and provided With meansfor discharging said liquid upon said vaporizer, means for causing saidelectric current to continue to flow to said vaporizer heating meansirrespective of the further functioning of said thermostat, and meanswhereby said electric vaporizer heating means, said circuit including apair of contacts held closed While the tank contains a supply of liquid,a thermo stat, and a second circuit including said thermostat, theclosing of said second circuit by the functioning of the thermostatbeing adapted to close the first mentioned circuit. Signed at city,county, and State of New York, this 25th day of .March, 1918.

LUIS E. EOKELMANN. HARRY HERTZBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, v

Washington, D. Q.

